Athletic shoe toe protector



Dec- 16, 1958 M. H. MONTGOMERY v2,864,180

ATHLETIC SHOE TOE PROTECTOR.

Filed v Dec. 23', 1957 nited rates This invention relates to an and is applicable to various types of athletic shoes, and particularly one where the player tends to drag a toe during the course of the play. A particular instance of this is in the game of baseball, and particularly for the pitcher who habitually drags one foot forward when pitchmg.

An object of my invention is to provide a novel detachable toe protector for athletic shoes in which the toe protector can be easily mounted or removed from the shoe as required by the player.

Another object of my invention is to provide a toe protector formed of rubber or other flexible plastic material so that the protector will conform to the shape of the shoe, and where the toe protector can be held securely attached to the shoe without the use of stitching, rivets, or other similar fastening means.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel toe protector of the character stated which is held in position on the shoe by the stretching ability of the plastic material of which the protector is made, in cooperation with the cleats or similar projections on the sole of the shoe.

A feature of my invention lies in the fact that the toe protector will fit several sizes and shapes of shoes without requiring a separate mold for each shoe size and shape.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention may appear from the accompanying drawing, the subjoined detailed description and the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a top plan View ofan athletic shoe with my toe protector mounted thereon.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of a modied form of toe protector.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of still another modified fortn of toe protector.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary top plan view of the type of toe protector shown in Fig. 5.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken through one of the cleats.

Referring more particularly to the drawing the numeral 1 indicates an athletic shoe, including the usual upper part 2 with its associated laces 3 which extend through holes 4 in the upper. The shoe also includes the usual sole S and this sole has secured thereto the required cleats 6 which, in this instance, are shown as baseball spikes. The spikes are fixedly secured to the sole 5 by screws or rivets, all of which is usual and well known, and in the case of baseball the spikes 7 onthe cleats are ar ranged substantially in a triangle and are formed of a suitable rnetal so that the projections will extend into the ground, all of which is usual and well known.

My toe protector 8 consists of a segmental hollow upper 9 whichextends over the toe portion of the upper 4, and especially along one side of the shoe as shown in athletic shoe toe protector attent hhce Patented Dec. 16, 1358 Fig. 1. This upper 9 on the inside 10 thereof extends for substantially half of the total length of the shoe, and especially past the rather abrupt inwardly curved portion 11 of the inside edge of the sole 5. Since the edge 10 of the toe protector extends around the curve 11 there is a tendency to hold the toe protector, particularly from pulling forwardly, especially when the foot is dragged over the ground. The upper portion 9 of the toe protector is also provided with lace holes 12 through which the laces 3 can pass to further assist in holding the toe protector in position. The upper portion 9 of the toe protector is also rather heavy in cross section; however, the entire toe protector is formed of rubber or other flexible plastic material so that it will yield or bend or shape itself sufficiently to effectively tit different sizes and shapes of shoes. A web 13 is integrally formed with the upper portion 9 of the toe protector and this web, also formed of rubber or other flexible plastic material, is thinner in cross section than the The web 13 is formed with a hole or opening 14 therein which substantially conforms in shape to the cleat structure 6. The opening or hole 14 in the web 13 is somewhat smaller in outside diameter than the cleat 6 and, consequently, must be stretched in order to extend over the spikes 7, and thus the web 13 will grip the spikes '7 to hold the toe protector 8 in position on the shoe. The required stretching of the web 13 in order to fit over the spikes 7 will pull the hollow toe protector 9 to the shoe and will hold it securely in position.

In the modified type of toe protector, shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the web 15 similarly extends over the sole of the shoe and is similarly provided with an opening or hole 16 which fits around the spikes 7 of the cleat structure 6. To further stretch or pull the web 15 I provide a hook 17 which extends over an edge of the sole 5 opposite the point 11 on the sole of the shoe, so that the toe protector is pulled tight across the instep of the shoe, thus further holding the toe protector from pulling forwardly off of the toe of the shoe and holding the toe protector at the point 11 of the sole of the shoe, as well as on the side opposite this point substantially as shown. The hook 17 also holds the web 15 taut and prevents the web from pulling oli of the spike immediately adjacent the point where the hook 17 engages the sole of the shoe.

A third modification the same hollow toe integrally formed with is shown in Figs. 5 and 6, wherein portion 18 of the toe protector is holding the toe protector 1S in position. To further assist in holding the toe protector on the shoe I provide a flap 21 adjacent the rear edge of the web 19 and on the side opposite the sharply curved portion 11 of the shoe sole. This flap extends upwardly over the shoe upper 2 and is engaged by the lace 3 of the face for which an eyelet 22 is provided. The main or heavy portion of the toe protector is also provided with eyelets 23 which are similarly arranged and used as the eyelets 12 previously described. Thus again the toe protector is securely held in engagement with the cleat structure 6 of the athletic shoe so that the toe protector will not be accidentally pulled ott of the shoe during play.

In Fig. 7 I have disclosed the manner in which the web 13 will tend to curve under the outer curved edge of the cleats 7, thus tending to hold this web portion more effectively on the cleats, and also more effectively on the athletic shoe.

Having described my invention, I claim:

l. A toe protector for athletic shoes which include a cleat on the sole of said shoes, said cleat having a spike projecting therefrom, a toe protector formed of an elastic material and comprising a hollow upper, said -upper being positioned around the toe of the shoe, a web extending across the bottom of the hollow upper and being positioned against the sole of the shoe, said webV having an opening therein, said opening being of lesser dimension than the cleat so that the web will stretch over the cleat and engage the Spikes projecting therefrom to hold said shoe protector on the athletic shoe.

2. A toe protector for athletic shoes which include a cleat on the sole of said shoes, said cleat having a spike projecting therefrom, a toe protector formed of an elastic material and comprising a hollow upper, said upper being positioned around the toe of the shoe, a web extendingacross the bottom of the hollow upper and being positioned against the sole of the shoe, said web having an opening therein, said opening being of lesser dimension than the cleat so that the web will stretch over the cleat and engage the spikes projecting therefrom to hold said shoe protector on the athletic shoe, said hollow upper having eyelets formed therein through which the shoe laces of the athletic shoe extend.

3. A toe protector for athletic shoes which include a cleat on the sole of said shoes, said cleat having a spike projecting therefrom, a toe protector formed of a nonrnetallic, tiexible material and comprising a hollow upper, said hollow upper being yieldable to position itself around the toe of the shoe, a stretchable web integrally formed with the hollow upper, said web extending across the bottom of the hollow upper and against the sole of the shoe, said web having an opening therein, said opening being of lesser dimension than the cleat to compel stretch- I ing of the web to it around the cleat and around the spikes projecting Vtherefrom whereby the toe protector is held on the shoe. x

4. A toe protector for athletic shoes which include a cleat on the sole of said shoes, said cleat having a spike projecting therefrom, a toe protector formed of an elastic material and comprising a hollow upper, said upper being positioned around the toe of the shoe, a web eX- tending across the bottom of the hollow upper and being positioned against the sole of the shoe, said web having an opening therein, said opening being of lesser dimension than the cleat so that the web will stretch over the cleat and engage the spikes projecting therefrom to hold said shoe protector on the athletic shoe, said sole of the shoe being formed with an abrupt inwardly directed curve at the inside and shank of the sole of the shoe, and said upper extending around the sharp inwardly directed curve of the solve to assist in holding said toe protector on the shoe.

5. A toe protector for athletic shoes which include a cleat on the sole of said shoe, said cleat having a spike projecting therefrom, a toe protector formed of an elastic material and comprising a hollow upper, said upper being positioned around the toe of the shoe, a web extending acrcss the bottom of the hollow upper and being positioned against the sole of the shoe, said web having an opening therein, said opening being of lesser dimension than the cleat so that the web will stretch over the cleat and engage the spikes projecting therefrom to hold said shoe protector on the athletic shoe, said sole of the shoe being formed with an abrupt inwardly directed curve at the inside and shank of the sole of the shoe, and said upper extending around the sharp inwardly directed curve of the sole to assist in holding said 4 toe protector on the shoe, said hollow upper having eyelets formed therein through which the shoe laces of the athletic shoe extend.

6. A toe protector for athletic shoes which include a cleat on the sole of said shoes, said cleat having a spike projecting therefrom, a toe protector formed of a nonmetallic, flexible material and comprising a hollow upper, said hollow upper being yieldable to position itself around the toe of the shoe, a stretchable web integrally formed with the hollow upper, said web extending across the bottom of the hollow upper and against the sole of the shoe, said web having an opening therein, said opening being of lesser dimension than the cleat to compel stretching of the web to t around the cleat and around the spikes projecting therefrom whereby the toe protector is held on the shoe, said sole of the shoe being formed with an abrupt inwardly directed curve at the inside and shank of the sole of the shoe and said upper extending around the sharp inwardly directed curve of the sole to assist in holding said toe protector on the shoe.

7. A toe protector for athletic shoes which include a cleat on the sole of said shoes, said cleat having a spike projecting therefrom, a toe protector formed of an elastic material and comprising a hollow upper, said upper being positioned around the toe of the shoe, a web extending across the bottom of the hollow upper and being positioned against the lsole of the shoe, said web having an opening therein, said opening being of lesser dimension than the cleat so that the web will stretch over the cleat and engage the spikes projecting therefrom to hold said shoe protector on the athletic shoe, a hook on said web, said hook extending over the sole of the shoe to assist in holding the toe protector on the shoe.

8. A toe protector for athletic shoes which include a cleat on the sole of said shoes, said cleat having a spike projecting therefrom, a toe protector formed of an elastic material and comprising a hollow upper, said upper being positioned around the toe of the shoe, a web extending across the bottom of the hollow upper and being positioned against the sole of the shoe, said web having an opening therein, said opening being of lesser dimension than the cleat so that the web will stretch over the Cleat and engage the spikes projecting therefrom to hold said shoe protector on the athletic shoe, said hollow upper having eyelets formed therein through which the shoe laces of the athletic shoe extend, a hook on said web, said hook extending over the sole of the shoe to assist in holding the toe protector on the shoe, the sole of the shoe having an abrupt inward curve at the inside and shank of the sole thereof, the toe protector extending around the abrupt curve and said hook being positioned opposite the portion of the toe protector extending around the abrupt curve.

9. A toe protector for athletic shoes which include a cleat o-n the sole of said shoes, said cleat having a spike projecting therefrom, a toe protector formed of an elastic material and comprising a hollow upper, said upper being positioned around the toe of the shoe, a web extending across the bottom of the hollow upper and being positioned against the sole of the shoe, said web having an opening therein, said opening being of lesser dimension than the cleat so that the web will stretch over the cleat and engage the spikes projecting therefrom to hold said shoe protector on the athletic shoe, said hollow upper having eyelets formed therein through which the shoe laces of the athletic shoe extend, an upwardly extending ap on one side of the toe protector, said ap having au eyelet therein to receive the lace. of the shoe.

No references cited. 

